Counter display



March 22, 1960 w. F. WILLIAMS COUNTER DISPLAY Filed April 28. 1958 INVENTOR.

Wnvsronr F. WILLIAMS ATroRrvEy United States Patent COUNTER DISPLAY Winston F. Williams, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, assignor to Collins Radio Company, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, a corporation of Iowa Application April 28, 1958, Serial No. 731,401 2 Claims. (Cl. 235-117) This invention relates to counting mechanisms and more particularly to a counting mechanism which will count by multiples of some digit other than one.

It is often desirable to have a counter mechanism which will count by digits other than one. A use to which such a counter may be put is to indicate the frequency of a transmitter or receiver which is to tune to frequencies separated by more than one unit.

It is an object of this invention to provide a counter mechanism which will count by digits other than one and which may be manufactured from standard wheels and gears. It is a further object of this invention to provide a counter mechanism which is economical to construct. A still further object of this invention is to provide a counter mechanism which can count by any digit by changing a few parts.

These and other objects of this invention will become more apparent when read in view of the single figure which is an isometric representation of one embodiment of this invention.

Referring to the drawing, a support member or case 6 supports a plurality of shafts. Shafts 7 and 8 are freely rotatable within the mountings formed in the support member 6. Mounted on shaft 7 is an input drive gear 9. A driving means, not shown, drives gear 9. Gear 9 is in mesh and drives gear 10, which is securely fastened to shaft 8 to rotate it. A gear 111 is non-rotatably attached to shaft 8 and is in mesh with a gear 12 which is rotatably attached to shaft 7.

A drum member 13 is attached to gear 12 and has a plurality of holes cut in the periphery thereof. The number of slots which are cut in the drum 13 and the gear ratio between gears 9 and 10, and 11 and 12 will determine the counting sequenceof the mechanism of this invention.

The gear 12 and the drum 13 rotate freely on shaft 7 and their movement is controlled by the rotation of shaft 8. Firmly affixed to shaft 7 and fitting within the drum member 13 is a counter drum 14. Counter drum 14 has ascending integral numbers from one through zero printed thereon. Counting drum 14 is held on the shaft 7 by a set screw 15, although any other means of fastening the drum to the shaft may be utilized. Aflixed to the counting drum 14 are two plates 16 and 17. These plates have notches 18 cut in the periphery thereof with the notch on plate 16 being formed as in indentation and the notch on plate 17 being formed by the interdental space between two teeth formed thereon.

Loosely held on the shaft 7 is gear 20 and counting drum 21. Gear 20 is fastened in any well-known manner to the counting drum 21. A gear 19 is loosely held on shaft 8. This gear 19 is a skip tooth pinion. Gear 19 has alternate teeth which extend the full face width of the gear and the remaining teeth extend only a portion of the face width of the gear. Notches 18 in the plates 16 and 17 provide clearance to allow gear 19 to rotate upon engagement of the teeth on plate 17 with gear 19.

Thus for every revolution of the counter 14, the counter 21 will be turned one-tenth of a revolution. The gear 19, plates 16 and 17, and counting drums 14 and 21 are conventional counter mechanism parts.

In a particular embodiment of this invention which is shown herein, a counter which counts by fours is illustrated, as for example, 0, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, etc. The gear ratio between gears 9 and 10 is such that the mask or drum 13 rotates one-quarter of a revolution for twofifths of a revolution of the drum 14. As shown by the dotted lines, the slots in the drum 13 are positioned under the viewing hole 22 in the case 6. Multiples of four on the drum 14 align with the opening 22 and the slot in the drum 13 and/or the gear ratios, a counter may be conten in opening 22 than appear between ten and twenty when counting by fours, and the present invention solves this problem. By varying the number of windows in drum 13 and/or gear ratios, a counter may be constructed which counts in other increments, as for example, 3, 6, 7, 8, or 9. Thus, by adding gears 11 and 12 and drum member 13 to a standard counter mechanism, a device which counts by numbers other than one may be obtained.

Although this invention has been described with respect to a particular embodiment thereof, it is not to be so limited, as changes and modifications may be made therein which are within the full intended scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A counter mechanism capable of counting by an integer of two or more, comprising a frame member, a pair of shafts rotatably supported by said frame member, a units order first counter drum non-rotatably mounted on said first shaft, a plurality of higher order counter drums rotatably mounted of said first shaft, transfer mechanisms mounted on the first and second shafts and connected between said counter drums, a drum member formed with four windows substantially enclosing said first counter drum such that numerals printed on the periphery of said first counter drum are visible through said windows, a gear attached to said drum member, said drum member and said first gear rotatably mounted on the first shaft, a driving gear non-rotatably mounted on said first shaft, a third'gear in mesh with the driving gear and non-rotatably mounted on the second shaft, a fourth gear nonrotatably mounted on the second shaft and in mesh with the first gear and fixed viewing windows formed in the frame member adjacent the periphery of said counter drums and said drum member to expose said higher order counter drums and to expose said units order counter drum upon registration of a window in the drum member with the corresponding fixed viewing window.

2. A counter mechanism capable of counting by an integer of two or more, comprising a frame member, a pair of shafts rotatably supported by said frame member, a units order first counter drum non-rotatably mounted on said first shaft, a plurality of higher order counter drums rotatably mounted on said first shaft, transfer mechanisms mounted on the first and second shafts and connected between said counter drums, a drum member formed with a plurality of windows substantially enclosing said first counter drum such that numerals printed on the periphery of said first counter drum are visible through said windows, viewing openings formed in said frame member adjacent the periphery of said counter drums and said drum member to expose said higher order counter drums and to expose numerals on the first counter drum to view when one of the plurality of windows on said drum member and the corresponding viewing opening are aligned, a first gear attached to said drum member, said drum member and said first v gear rotatably mounted on the first shaft, a driving gear non-rotatably mounted on said first shaft, a third gear in mesh with the driving gear and non-rotatably mounted on the 'secon'd shaft, and a fourth gear non-rotatably mounted on the 5 2,351,314

second shaft and in mesh with the first gear.

References Cited .in the vfileof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 9,37'1 Hornum Sept. 7, 1880 Holzner June 20, 1944 2,420,808 Bliss May 20, 1947 

